Now that Dorico 4 has the long-awaited option to omit the restatement of the hyphen at the beginning of the system, I need to change this setting for several thousand files, save, and re-export to PDF (a fixed folder path).
Would someone be able to help me write a script for this?
Hmm. Unless Iām missing something, itās not possible to ābatch processā files in Dorico; and while itās easy enough to iterate through files outside of Dorico, thereās no way of asking Dorico to do something from outside, either.
You can certainly create a script that sets the option and exports the PDF (and possibly close the project?). But youāll have to open each oneā¦
Yes, Iām expecting that the answer comes from outside Dorico, just wondering if thereās any way to automate the process. Not the way Iād prefer to spend the next two daysā¦
It is possible to just record and repeat key strokes, menu commands and mouse movements with macro programs. Whether you can combine that with a file batching āendā might depend on the software available.
Remind me: are you Mac or Windows?
Iām on windows 11.
I have some of these things assigned to key commands, but some of the functions are trickier. For example, I can open engraving options, but I donāt know how to navigate to the option I want without a mouse. Also, I have to click to choose the folder for the export location. And then thereās a matter of waiting for the next commandā¦ Not sure if there is a way to tell the next commands to send as soon as the program is readyā¦
Probably best to record a Dorico script of setting the option:
local app=DoApp.DoApp()
app:doCommand([[Engrave.Options]])
app:doCommand([[Engrave.SetEngravingOptions?Dictionary=list: {string: "lyricOptions.showLyricHyphenAtStartOfSystem"}\, {bool: false}&OpenScoreID=0]])
You can add the Print sequence, though that produces āquite a lotā of code.
Then have a macro that triggers the script.
Thanks, thatās very interesting. Alex has been helping me with a script for printing, but itās just not quite working. Iāll give this a shot further.
It didnāt work. The script opens Engraving Options, closes them again, saves the file, and closes it. But it doesnāt actually change the Engraving Option setting, and it doesnāt export the PDF.
I really would be happy to compensate someone to write this scriptā¦
Hi folks, Iām returning to ask about this function. Iām needing to change several engraving options for around 6,000 files: specifically, staff line thickness and stem thickness. I then need to set a location for the PDF and export it.
Even on a fast computer, these functions, along with Save and Close, will add up toā¦ a lot of time.
Iām sure thereās a way to automate this, but itās beyond me. Would anyone be willing to write a script for me for a cost? Or help me write one myself? Iām on Windows, if that matters. Thanks!
(cross-posted to FB)
This request sounds totally legitā¦ Iām curious, which settings are you willing to type for staff line thickness and stem thickness? For the first, Iām using mostly 7/50 these days. I donāt think Iāve changed the stem thickness but your post makes me wonder 
Iām doing 1/12, but I need it set to 1/16.
Thatās quite thin! The default staff lines are 1/8th.
I know, but thatās what I need!
I also still need to bulk-remove all leading hyphens from older scores, as well as increase the margins. Thereās all sorts of stuff Iād like to be able to change in bulk.
I hope you get your wish, Dan. I canāt imagine the time it will take just to proof everything afterwords. Wow.
The remote control API might be useful here. It depends on the specifics of the task and how the command is implemented in Dorico. If you perform the operations you need and then send me the associated actions out of the log file, it will help in determining the feasibility. Essentially, the API could āplaybackā the commands in the log, but sometimes the granularity of info isnāt available. Iām assuming this isnāt time critical.
Thanks, Iāll do that. And no, itās not time-sensitive.
Kinda OT: is that API documented somewhere?
A bit, but not much. You can email Daniel about access to it. Itās pretty limited at the moment, but weāll see how it grows.
You can break down the task into three steps
No. 3 is the easy bit; No.2 may require a platform-specific macro utility to simulate the menu selection; No. 1 would then have to take each file, open it and trigger the macro utility, then save and close the file.
On the Mac this would be straightforward, possibly without any third-party tools. I donāt know whether the Windows shell could do this.